Libby, Montana – August 23rd, 2017

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I went to visit an old friend last week. Pride.

Here I am with Pride. The first horse that so courageously carried me on the 2005 ride.

Nancy herding cattle that just happened to be out.
Nancy herding cattle on Pride that just happened to be out, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
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Here is Pride in 2003 when I first began working with him from the McCurry Tennessee Walking Ranch in Trego.
This is the 2005 route
This is the 2005 route

He’s been living a great life for many years with Nancy Haugan’s on her family ranch in the West Kootanai – west of Eureka, Montana. Nancy is our beloved Veterinarian and owns Mountain Vista Veterinary Services.  He must be around 23 by now I wasn’t quite sure. He looked great, still as flashy as ever.

It’s hard to believe we ever survived  that first ride. What I marveled at was his perseverance in the face of my inexperience!

THE GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE

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The Eclipse happened at 11:15 here at Libby, Montana. The regional fire-fighting headquarters were set up in the J. Neil Park where I camp when I come thru Libby..

one of the workers set up this paper and we were dazzled by the half moons coming thru the leaves
One of the workers set up this paper and we were dazzled by the half moons coming thru the leaves.

The fires have made it impossible to consider riding across the Bob Marshall to Helena as I had orginally planned. I will haul next month to Helena visiting FarCountry Press, finishing up the last details for the book coming out soon. Then Boston, Harvard talk from the 18th to the 21st of September.